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Fylingdales at 50

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THe Cold War may be consigned to the history books, but RAF Fylingdales high on the North York Moors continues its 24 hour-a-day, 365-days-a-year vigil, looking for deadly ballistic missiles heading our way.

And the base, which dominates the skyline between Whitby and Pickering, is celebrating half a century of vigilance. Although the threat from the Soviet Union maybe over, the remote station still has an important role to play in keeping the country safe, as Sally Simpson reports.

RAF Fylingdales in North Yorkshire celebrates its 50th anniversary today.

The early warning station, which dominates the skyline between Whitby and Pickering, became operational at the height of the nuclear stand-off between the West and the Soviet Union. And it still maintains a round-the-clock vigil.

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The early warning station was built as the first line of defence against nuclear attacks.

A team there still works 24 hours a day, looking for deadly ballistic missiles heading for the UK.

Wing commander Rayna Owens said: “RAF Fylingdales is an excellent example of a small but exceptionally professional specialist unit that delivers an output to defence and more broadly in the space domain.

"RAF Fylingdales has been a ballistic missile and early warning radar site since 1963 and is delighted to be celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

"The importance of this mission endures and some would say even more important in a world with uncertainty.”